krista4
Footballguy
As promised, it's time for McCartney Minus McCartney Plus...McCartney
280. Roger McGough and Mike McGear - So Much in Love (McCough & McGear, 1968) Spotify YouTube
279. Mike McGear - What Do We Really Know? (McGear, 1974) Spotify YouTube
(Paul #136 and 137)
McGear is the second (and last) solo album put out by Mike McGear. Who the heck is Mike McGear, the crowd demands? It's the pseudonym of Paul's baby brother, Peter Michael McCartney, who took the name to try to avoid being seen as trading on Paul's fame. "Gear," in Liverpool, is the equivalent of "fab." Fine, the crowd admits, but what does that have to do with any of this? Well, the McGear album includes not just Paul as a producer, songwriter (he wrote or co-wrote every non-cover on the record), and musician, but also features current or soon-to-be members of Wings - Linda, Jimmy McCulloch, Denny Seiwell, and Denny Laine. Some people consider it a "hidden" Wings album, and to me it's better than one or two of the official Wings albums.
Mike is a damned interesting guy. Before releasing any albums, he was part of the group The Scaffold, which had formed out of a group called The Liverpool One Fat Lady All Electric Show and was a blend of poetry, music and comedy that you really have to listen to to understand. Actually, I listened to them, and I still don't understand. Anyway, the group had several top ten singles in the UK, including their #1 hit Lily the Pink, and a hit children's TV show. That video really must be viewed.
In 1968, Mike also released a separate album entitled McGough & McGear with one of his two compatriots in The Scaffold. Why do we care about this album, which is mostly made up of comedy bits and spoken word poetry? We care not only because of Paul's heavy participation in the album, contributing vocals, piano, and some of the songwriting, but because the first and last tracks on the album feature a guitarist that you might just recognize without my having to tell you who it is. Take a listen to #280 up there and give it a shot.*
I enjoy quite a few songs on McGear but didn't want to muck up this list with too many not-purely-Paul entries. If you like the one above, which I think is a great banger with that Wings support, check out "Leave It," which was recorded to be released as a single, but when Paul sent it to the in-laws for release, they suggested a whole album be put together instead. "Givin' Grease A Ride" is a Gary-Numan-esque piece five years before "Cars," and I like "Norton" but understand it would not be for most people.
On McGough & McGear, definitely listen to the other song that features that pretty good guitarist, "Ex Art Student."
*Guys, it's Jimi.
280. Roger McGough and Mike McGear - So Much in Love (McCough & McGear, 1968) Spotify YouTube
279. Mike McGear - What Do We Really Know? (McGear, 1974) Spotify YouTube
(Paul #136 and 137)
McGear is the second (and last) solo album put out by Mike McGear. Who the heck is Mike McGear, the crowd demands? It's the pseudonym of Paul's baby brother, Peter Michael McCartney, who took the name to try to avoid being seen as trading on Paul's fame. "Gear," in Liverpool, is the equivalent of "fab." Fine, the crowd admits, but what does that have to do with any of this? Well, the McGear album includes not just Paul as a producer, songwriter (he wrote or co-wrote every non-cover on the record), and musician, but also features current or soon-to-be members of Wings - Linda, Jimmy McCulloch, Denny Seiwell, and Denny Laine. Some people consider it a "hidden" Wings album, and to me it's better than one or two of the official Wings albums.
Mike is a damned interesting guy. Before releasing any albums, he was part of the group The Scaffold, which had formed out of a group called The Liverpool One Fat Lady All Electric Show and was a blend of poetry, music and comedy that you really have to listen to to understand. Actually, I listened to them, and I still don't understand. Anyway, the group had several top ten singles in the UK, including their #1 hit Lily the Pink, and a hit children's TV show. That video really must be viewed.
In 1968, Mike also released a separate album entitled McGough & McGear with one of his two compatriots in The Scaffold. Why do we care about this album, which is mostly made up of comedy bits and spoken word poetry? We care not only because of Paul's heavy participation in the album, contributing vocals, piano, and some of the songwriting, but because the first and last tracks on the album feature a guitarist that you might just recognize without my having to tell you who it is. Take a listen to #280 up there and give it a shot.*
I enjoy quite a few songs on McGear but didn't want to muck up this list with too many not-purely-Paul entries. If you like the one above, which I think is a great banger with that Wings support, check out "Leave It," which was recorded to be released as a single, but when Paul sent it to the in-laws for release, they suggested a whole album be put together instead. "Givin' Grease A Ride" is a Gary-Numan-esque piece five years before "Cars," and I like "Norton" but understand it would not be for most people.
On McGough & McGear, definitely listen to the other song that features that pretty good guitarist, "Ex Art Student."
*Guys, it's Jimi.
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